The benefits of having an office pet

Here at Bigg, we're all about new ideas - so when our Social Media Manager, Hannah, asked if she could bring in a friend's dog into the office we were all ears. We have been welcoming nine month old Golden Labrador, Phoebe Woofay, to the Bigg HQ in Bristol for a weekly visit ever since! She’s now become part of the Bigg family and we all look forward to our happy, furry, four-legged friend greeting our office with her beloved tennis ball every week!

Let's have a paws for thought to look at a few reasons why having a furry office sidekick is great for the work environment!

Many establishments have introduced animals into the workplace in recent years - around 8% of UK and US companies now allow dogs into the workplace - but it’s not just dogs. Online greetings card company, Moonpig, felt an office pig was more on brand for their company. Their piggy pals were given a custom-built pigsty, were taken for walks outside, and were free to roam the office as the team worked around them!

Turns out science has a thing or two to say about dogs in the workplace, too. In 2012, an American study found that employees of a manufacturing company who brought their dogs into the workplace reported feeling significantly less stressed. Multiple other studies have found that having a pet in the workplace improves productivity, internal communications and collaboration. Petting a dog has been proven to release the happy hormone oxytocin and reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. Sounds good to us!

Aside from the advantages for us humans, Phoebe also benefits from a fun day out! She's pretty happy with the company we give her here (we think) and gets spoilt with ball throws and a comfy doggy bed along with regular short walks throughout the day.

Needless to say, welcoming a pet into the office certainly perks everyone’s moods and is great for our work environment here at Bigg.

We think you'd be barking not to have a dog like Phoebe in your office team!